25 Frost, Year 122
[Closed]
[Legendary]
It was a saying that Hilana had absorbed with her baby food. “If you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will take you there.” Sentinel Phocion may have thought that it was just a folksy saying, for her there was a core of truth to it. As nomads, they were expected to learn how to find their way in the vast stretches of harsh desert that they called home. To develop a sense of direction and navigation in case one ever needed it; lest you get separated by some means... hunting, foraging, or fleeing, as sometimes happened. To guide yourself with the stars and a nurtured inner compass; to understand how to get to where you needed to go. While all of the different nomadic tribes had their different routes to the grounds and territories, they needed to know those routes should the tribe depend on them one day.
Hilana may not have been raised in a tribal setting once her mother had passed, but Asher had been, and so had some of her other packmates. The two seasons she had spent with her late mother’s family had been vital. She had learned a great deal, building on an education that she had earned not from within the walls of a school. Nights of being blindfolded and brought out into the sands and having to navigate their way back, learning the stars, the constellations, and the moons; understanding how and where to use them to get her bearings. To understand the flows and currents, the landmarks and the villages. To know directions from looking at the trees in oases, or the lone cypress trees that dotted the landscape. She was also far more familiar with maps than she was with trying to draw and replicate the Zalkyrian Horn. Hilana was never going to be a classical artist unless by some miracle she lived a thousand years and had nothing better to do with her time. In which case then maybe she would take it up once she had learned underwater basketweaving. Cartography was one thing, but drawing on its own?
In any event, she was back down at the Vigilia Argenti Praetorium once again, once again after work. But today she had closed, and it was later in the evening. She had already had her dinner and enjoyed it while she was in the shop, and now she had some more work to do. This, however, was more of a research, studying, and cartography session than anything else, though she would have been game for another training session with Sentinel Ævril. But all in good time: Hilana kept herself busy. She had homework from two different Elementalism teachers, and what was covered by one wasn’t necessarily covered by the other, but both of them complemented each other. Perhaps it was because they were both thorough and passionate on the subject, but it worked out well.
She nodded in greeting to the veiled and helmeted sentries at the door, getting out her note. “Sentinel Phalendyr sent for me,” she told them, and after one of them checked out the missive, she was waved on through. Sentinel Phocion’s assistant had been notified. He would meet her inside, and then Hilana could settle down with the maps and her notebook. She was more prepared for said maps this time, having brought Asher’s along from that side of the Kingdom, and they were tucked away in her notebook. The Volumens Errantis was of no good for her for now until she was actually in Ecith, but this would do to get her there. She had asked for a modern day map of the jungle region, but Hilana also had an ulterior motive. Finn needed to get to Syren’s temple in Drathera, and the girl was going to kill two birds with one stone, provided she could get her pilot to comply. It wouldn’t hurt to do... research... after all. Even if it meant going to the capital city of the Orcani. Hilana was not thrilled, but she had promised Finn that she would get him there somehow. Be it by wyvern or by camel, she was going to get him there.
She tucked herself off to the side in the lobby, the tiered skirt of teal, black, and white hanging off of her hips, her snake around her shoulders. She was probably becoming a somewhat usual sight around the Praetorium, but considering she elected not to speak until she was spoken to, and was trying to divulge as little as possible... Hilana knew she was probably a weird sight to be had here. But since she primarily met with Sentinel Ævril... Well, she wasn’t a Mesmer to be able to tell what, if anything, they were thinking. And even if she was, they were all probably warded. She remained quietly on the wall, searching for the inner quiet that was there beneath the thoughts. Both Palaemon and Ævril had told her that she needed to work on meditating in order to be an effective Elementalist, to help her reaction times and connections with the elements, and so Hilana elected to practice it here in the quiet stillness.
She was finally getting into it when Sentinel Phalendyr came towards her, and Hilana inclined her head, pushing off of the wall and coming forward to meet him. “This way, Miss Chenzira,” he led her off, and down they went from another staircase. He didn’t explain, and she elected not to ask; he would tell her later or he wouldn’t, but she was just happy to be here. “Here you are,” he opened the door for her and stepped aside. “We believe that this should be sufficient to get you started for now. These have all been sourced from our archives: you’ve multiple maps of the area and the Commonwealth, be they aerial and topographical, to work with. Some are historical and some are current. I’ll check in on you again in a little while. If you need anything, please ask.” She found supplies as well for herself, more paper and pencils, some of which were coloured, and Hilana certainly liked them.
“Thank you, Sentinel Phalendyr,” the girl inclined her head again to him, heading for the table. “I appreciate it.” He nodded, and closed the door. Hilana made her way over to the large table, taking off her rucksack and setting it on one of the chairs. Tiaz was disinclined to be lifted from her shoulders, so she left him where he was. But he was comforting up there, and she was certainly used to hauling him. She got her notebook out and her pencils, setting them to the side, before starting to go over the collections of maps. She wanted the most recent, because that was what she had to work with now, but from there, she could build up more and make notes about places that might be worth another glance, depending on what the Sembler was able to see when they got there. The Vastiana opened her notebook and got herself situated on the chair, and began to compare her work with the map. She paused for a moment and grabbed Asher’s cloth map of that section of Atraxia, unrolling it and having a gander so that she had three to compare and build up.
When she made the trip, she would have three to take with her. This one, her Volumens Errantis, and Asher’s map. The maps that belonged to the archives would have to stay behind, but what was important was for her to make the most comprehensive map that she could so that she didn’t waste anyone’s time in failure of navigating. That was her part. Navigate, find, and keep going. As she made notes, Hilana checked constantly, cross-referencing her locations and the approximate scale, comparing her work with what had already been done by the masters. From Asher’s map, she added the guideposts that she had been trained to look for; the different landscape markers that they worked off of that gave away secrets of the endless sands. While her target was over the border in Ecith, they could stick to Atraxia for as long as possible. Inasmuch as she despised the Orcani hordes, it would be foolish, as Prince Phocion had said, to dismiss them. And that meant trying to stick to Atraxian airspace as much as possible. Once they crossed the border it would be a different story, but at least Finn would be there and she could get him to Syren’s temple once they had finished with her own part.
This was fascinating in itself, Hilana found as she studied the map. There was a lot to discover here, a lot of plants that she wanted to grab samples of while she was running around. She had Vasilei’s big book as well that she could look from, in terms of flora around where they were going... but one thing at a time. The girl made use of the coloured pencils, editing and adjusting the map in her notebook, fleshing it out properly as she referenced from Asher’s map and the archive’s, estimating landmarks and distances. Bit by bit, with each addition, Hilana was fleshing out a more detailed picture of what she could expect within that searching distance. The Sembler would certainly be required to help pinpoint, though she just had to get close enough with the Volumens Errantis. That would likely be of use; a dragon battle would surely show up there as a site where aether had been expended long ago. But at the same time... it was a point of pride to try to do it without relying too heavily on it. Then again... who knew what the site would look like when they got there? Use whatever tools she had on hand, especially since what she had was an estimated location. It wouldn’t serve any of them to waste time looking for a needle in a haystack.
Part II
[Closed]
[Legendary]
It was a saying that Hilana had absorbed with her baby food. “If you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will take you there.” Sentinel Phocion may have thought that it was just a folksy saying, for her there was a core of truth to it. As nomads, they were expected to learn how to find their way in the vast stretches of harsh desert that they called home. To develop a sense of direction and navigation in case one ever needed it; lest you get separated by some means... hunting, foraging, or fleeing, as sometimes happened. To guide yourself with the stars and a nurtured inner compass; to understand how to get to where you needed to go. While all of the different nomadic tribes had their different routes to the grounds and territories, they needed to know those routes should the tribe depend on them one day.
Hilana may not have been raised in a tribal setting once her mother had passed, but Asher had been, and so had some of her other packmates. The two seasons she had spent with her late mother’s family had been vital. She had learned a great deal, building on an education that she had earned not from within the walls of a school. Nights of being blindfolded and brought out into the sands and having to navigate their way back, learning the stars, the constellations, and the moons; understanding how and where to use them to get her bearings. To understand the flows and currents, the landmarks and the villages. To know directions from looking at the trees in oases, or the lone cypress trees that dotted the landscape. She was also far more familiar with maps than she was with trying to draw and replicate the Zalkyrian Horn. Hilana was never going to be a classical artist unless by some miracle she lived a thousand years and had nothing better to do with her time. In which case then maybe she would take it up once she had learned underwater basketweaving. Cartography was one thing, but drawing on its own?
In any event, she was back down at the Vigilia Argenti Praetorium once again, once again after work. But today she had closed, and it was later in the evening. She had already had her dinner and enjoyed it while she was in the shop, and now she had some more work to do. This, however, was more of a research, studying, and cartography session than anything else, though she would have been game for another training session with Sentinel Ævril. But all in good time: Hilana kept herself busy. She had homework from two different Elementalism teachers, and what was covered by one wasn’t necessarily covered by the other, but both of them complemented each other. Perhaps it was because they were both thorough and passionate on the subject, but it worked out well.
She nodded in greeting to the veiled and helmeted sentries at the door, getting out her note. “Sentinel Phalendyr sent for me,” she told them, and after one of them checked out the missive, she was waved on through. Sentinel Phocion’s assistant had been notified. He would meet her inside, and then Hilana could settle down with the maps and her notebook. She was more prepared for said maps this time, having brought Asher’s along from that side of the Kingdom, and they were tucked away in her notebook. The Volumens Errantis was of no good for her for now until she was actually in Ecith, but this would do to get her there. She had asked for a modern day map of the jungle region, but Hilana also had an ulterior motive. Finn needed to get to Syren’s temple in Drathera, and the girl was going to kill two birds with one stone, provided she could get her pilot to comply. It wouldn’t hurt to do... research... after all. Even if it meant going to the capital city of the Orcani. Hilana was not thrilled, but she had promised Finn that she would get him there somehow. Be it by wyvern or by camel, she was going to get him there.
She tucked herself off to the side in the lobby, the tiered skirt of teal, black, and white hanging off of her hips, her snake around her shoulders. She was probably becoming a somewhat usual sight around the Praetorium, but considering she elected not to speak until she was spoken to, and was trying to divulge as little as possible... Hilana knew she was probably a weird sight to be had here. But since she primarily met with Sentinel Ævril... Well, she wasn’t a Mesmer to be able to tell what, if anything, they were thinking. And even if she was, they were all probably warded. She remained quietly on the wall, searching for the inner quiet that was there beneath the thoughts. Both Palaemon and Ævril had told her that she needed to work on meditating in order to be an effective Elementalist, to help her reaction times and connections with the elements, and so Hilana elected to practice it here in the quiet stillness.
She was finally getting into it when Sentinel Phalendyr came towards her, and Hilana inclined her head, pushing off of the wall and coming forward to meet him. “This way, Miss Chenzira,” he led her off, and down they went from another staircase. He didn’t explain, and she elected not to ask; he would tell her later or he wouldn’t, but she was just happy to be here. “Here you are,” he opened the door for her and stepped aside. “We believe that this should be sufficient to get you started for now. These have all been sourced from our archives: you’ve multiple maps of the area and the Commonwealth, be they aerial and topographical, to work with. Some are historical and some are current. I’ll check in on you again in a little while. If you need anything, please ask.” She found supplies as well for herself, more paper and pencils, some of which were coloured, and Hilana certainly liked them.
“Thank you, Sentinel Phalendyr,” the girl inclined her head again to him, heading for the table. “I appreciate it.” He nodded, and closed the door. Hilana made her way over to the large table, taking off her rucksack and setting it on one of the chairs. Tiaz was disinclined to be lifted from her shoulders, so she left him where he was. But he was comforting up there, and she was certainly used to hauling him. She got her notebook out and her pencils, setting them to the side, before starting to go over the collections of maps. She wanted the most recent, because that was what she had to work with now, but from there, she could build up more and make notes about places that might be worth another glance, depending on what the Sembler was able to see when they got there. The Vastiana opened her notebook and got herself situated on the chair, and began to compare her work with the map. She paused for a moment and grabbed Asher’s cloth map of that section of Atraxia, unrolling it and having a gander so that she had three to compare and build up.
When she made the trip, she would have three to take with her. This one, her Volumens Errantis, and Asher’s map. The maps that belonged to the archives would have to stay behind, but what was important was for her to make the most comprehensive map that she could so that she didn’t waste anyone’s time in failure of navigating. That was her part. Navigate, find, and keep going. As she made notes, Hilana checked constantly, cross-referencing her locations and the approximate scale, comparing her work with what had already been done by the masters. From Asher’s map, she added the guideposts that she had been trained to look for; the different landscape markers that they worked off of that gave away secrets of the endless sands. While her target was over the border in Ecith, they could stick to Atraxia for as long as possible. Inasmuch as she despised the Orcani hordes, it would be foolish, as Prince Phocion had said, to dismiss them. And that meant trying to stick to Atraxian airspace as much as possible. Once they crossed the border it would be a different story, but at least Finn would be there and she could get him to Syren’s temple once they had finished with her own part.
This was fascinating in itself, Hilana found as she studied the map. There was a lot to discover here, a lot of plants that she wanted to grab samples of while she was running around. She had Vasilei’s big book as well that she could look from, in terms of flora around where they were going... but one thing at a time. The girl made use of the coloured pencils, editing and adjusting the map in her notebook, fleshing it out properly as she referenced from Asher’s map and the archive’s, estimating landmarks and distances. Bit by bit, with each addition, Hilana was fleshing out a more detailed picture of what she could expect within that searching distance. The Sembler would certainly be required to help pinpoint, though she just had to get close enough with the Volumens Errantis. That would likely be of use; a dragon battle would surely show up there as a site where aether had been expended long ago. But at the same time... it was a point of pride to try to do it without relying too heavily on it. Then again... who knew what the site would look like when they got there? Use whatever tools she had on hand, especially since what she had was an estimated location. It wouldn’t serve any of them to waste time looking for a needle in a haystack.
Part II